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Joel Glazer: Lay Off Josh Freeman!

The second favorite subject among Bucs fans is lauding/crucifying Bucs quarterback Josh Freeman.

Some fans believe Freeman is the Bucs version of Dan Fouts. Others believe Freeman is the Bucs version of Matt Cassel. Freeman is a polarizing figure.

All Bucs fans want him to succeed, but the divide is among fans who believe/disbelieve he can carry the Bucs to January football.

When Bucs co-chairman Joel Glazer had his annual meeting with the pen and mic club yesterday from the NFL owners meetings in Arizona, Glazer came to his quarterback’s defense and explained that those blaming Freeman for the Bucs’ collapse down the stretch are being unfair, so writes eye-RAH! Kaufman of the Tampa Tribune.

Speaking at the NFL owners meetings Tuesday, Glazer said ownership remains fully committed to quarterback Josh Freeman, pointing out several late defensive lapses that cost the Bucs during a 7-9 season marked by a December slide.

“We still have great confidence in Josh,” Glazer said. “Quarterback is a critical position, but quarterbacks can’t do it alone. There are a few games you can look at last year when we were in a comfortable position and defensively, we may have let down.

“Josh had some great moments last year – and some moments he’d like to have back. We want to take the pressure off of him defensively, and that’s what we’re working on. Nobody works harder than Josh Freeman, and he obviously has the talent. He threw for 4,000 yards and had a lot of big games. Let’s play some better defense and take some pressure off of him.”

While Joe cannot quibble with anything Glazer said, his premise is an example of the great divide among fans. There are legions of Freeman supporters who point to the very facts Glazer cites to explain why the Bucs (again) didn’t make the playoffs last season.

Then there is the faction that believes a good NFL quarterback puts his team on his back and overcomes obstacles to lead them to a playoff berth.

That’s why the Freeman tug-of-war between Bucs fans won’t soon die down until at least the 2013 season kicks off.

I think when the majority of fans on JoeBucsFan starts rallying against a player (Clayton, Rudd, etc.) recent history has shown that we tend to be spot on as when these players have been cut loose and go to other teams, they don’t prosper. The jury is still out on Freeman and Geraldini.

I have a gut feeling that this will be Freeman’s last year in a Bucs uniform. The non-contract extension this year (when we can get him on the cheap) is very telling.

I will be curious to see if McCoy can now start playing on a consistent level now that he has a probowl under his belt.

I agree with Glazer. I honestly don’t think Tom Brady could have won those games the way the defense gave it up. The QB can only do so much. The defense gave up multiple games with seconds left on the clock. What was Freeman supposed to do?

It’s a fine line but one thing is certain, freeman will have yet another opportunity to right his wrongs. If the defense comes to play this guys still has Dallas and New Orleans type of games (unable to complete a pass) then the writing is on the wall.

Glazer says they are working on “taking the pressure off of him defensively”?
Really? When are they going to start working? Looks like to me the defense is worse off than last year. But Im sure we will see the “Plan” take effect any day now.

he is only 24. i am drinking the cool-aid one more year. I believe with the second off season in sullivan’s system we will see dramatic improvement. We will still be 7-9 unless they find 3 corners and 2 dline

I think I’m done with the Bucs. Seriously….. it’s been a freakin’ decade. They’ve drifted back into the Sam Wyche Zone.

They crow about “building through the draft,” they do just that, and then let 2 of their “finds” walk. They’ve needed corners for 2 years, they sign safeties.

There just doesn’t seem to be a lot of people who know what they’re doing in the front office. Heck, they fire Bruce Allen and HE goes to the playoffs with the REDSKINS – the most dysfunctional team in the NFL.

Seems like people think QB’s grown on trees these days.Like you can just go in the draft, pick a QB, and their sure to be better then Josh Freeman. Freeman has been the best QB we’ve had in our history already. If the passing defense would’ve did their jobs holding on to leads in the 4th quarters; and the OC wouldn’t have called so many straight drop back, play action passes on 1st downs. Just wasting downs. We would’ve had at least 4 to 5 more wins on our record. If the OC gets it together like he did with not 1 single straight drop back play action pass in the Falcons game. That would make it easier on Freeman; also not abandoning the run game.

I agree with everyone about letting Bennett and Miller walk. We still need 2-3 corners as well. I’m really not sure what we’re doing right now with the lack of signing CB’s. I hope they have a plan because I don’t see it right now. Maybe they think Bowers, Clayborn, and Gmc become what they’re supposed to be this year?

Adam,
Don’t let the door hit you in the A$$ on the way out! Sam Wyche had a part in drafting Sapp, Lynch and Brooks. His last season here he was 7-9 and building a winning team. If you said Ray Perkins then maybe you would have some credibility. The loyal fans might b!thch and moan, but would never give up on this team.

A stout defense would go along way to helping Freeman. There have been plenty of Super Bowls won with less than perfect quarterbacks. The one thing those teams usually have in common is a good defense. Every team wants a Brady, Brees or Manning. There are only so many of those quarterbacks to go around – the type of quarterback that can overcome their teams deficiencies. I say build a good defense and see what Freeman can do in his second year in the same system. It’s hard to build the defense when core players are walking out the door though.

Gotta agree with Glazers for once. Freeman was kind of the goat for losing a lot of those games. Yeh he could’ve played better and won them but our defense didn’t do him too many favors.

That is why Dominik wants to get Revis and/or Grimes and add some talent in the draft probably mostly on the defensive side of the ball. I have faith in those guys as well as the new director of Scouting (Stokes). Around the league Dominik is regarded as a very good GM. I mean a lot is not the GM’s fault. As he said in his “taped” conversation GM’s who are boneheads look like geniuses when they land a can’t miss QB and are secure in their mediocrity for the next 10ish years.

For instance, Bruce Allen (current GM of the Redskins) is an absolute moron. When he left the BUCS we were almost devoid of any talent (the only player remaining from his era that he was responsible for that is still even being productive I believe is Davin Joseph. Then he goes to the Redskins and gets the #2 Pick and drafts a stud QB, same with GM of the Colts. Both had no-brainer sort of picks and get looked at like they were geniuses for the fact their perspective teams win. How many GM’s had 3 all-rookie team members ?? One. Our GM. That takes skill not no-brainer #1 and #2 picks. Why do you think Joe calls him a Rockstar ??

How about instead of panicking in the off-season we wait until we see the finished product on the field game 1 and see what happens. If the GM fields a good team games 1 that is all you can ask. Beyond game 1 a lot is dependent on luck as we are not 100% certain who will get injured etc.

Just looked up the stats of Phil Simms, Joe Namath, and John Elway. They were all horrible for many years when they first came up. Freeman’s are much, much, better.
I know, different era, blah, blah, blah. But there are 5 Super Bowls wins there (Simms was hurt in one).
Bottom line; if they all played here, they would have been all gone. It has happened three times before. Seems many of our castoffs go on to bigger and better things, even Dilfer, who was really bad.
We need to give Freeman some slack and see what happens.

Oh by the way the consensus best 2 corners (Grimes and Revis) that are “available” assuming their injuries do not impact them still may be on the BUCS come game 1. The rest of the lot were remarkably average by NFL standards. I mean Grimes was franchised last year and Revis had an Island named after him.

The best example of a good quarterback not making the playoffs because of poor defense? >>>>Drew Brees. The difference? Drew has had a legitimate defense before and you know what the Saints did? (Bountygate aside). They won a super bowl. I’m not saying Freeman is at or close to Drews level but look at his stats when he had a good defense versus a bad one.

If we have a middle of the pack defense (between 12-18 overall) then I think we can accurately judge Freeman. If he has an average to above average defense and still performs badly then let’s look for a replacement. However, I do not think this will be the case.

The gloom and doomers on here are killing me! How about we wait at least until after preseason to give up and start bitc@@g. Until then, give Schiano and Dominic a little time to do their jobs. At the end of last year we had a team decimated by injuries which was the main cause of the collapse. Just getting our starters back makes us a better team then we were at the end of last year. We still need to add some players on defense through a variety of methods (draft, trades, free agency, ..etc) but all is not lost because we did not win the first week of free agency!

You name two games when you can say the defense blew the first Saints game, the First Falcons game, the Eagles game, the 500 and something yard explosion the Giants put on them game, the Redskins game. The list goes on and on. We had the lead in a couple of those game only for our defense to falter at the end. I’m not Freeman doesn’t have his faults. But with a better defense we probably win at least three of those games. Then we are 10-6 and everybody loves Freeman

Just like the great Drew Brees overcame his putrid defense last year and led them to the playoffs right? Whatever………..the defense has to be better for the bucs to have a chance to make the playoffs. I have never heard of a #9 ranked offense being the problem for not making the playoffs.

Yeah but the fact is the offense (led by Freeman) gave the defense the lead. Which yacked it up. Against a woeful Eagles squad. Just like the other games mentioned in my above post. But judging by your name you’re not going to change your opinion on Freeman no matter what